Game piece agitator



April 22, 1958 A. H. KEAsT 2,831,692 A GAME PIECE AGITATOR f Filed Jan.2, 195'? United States Patent C GAME PIECE AGITATOR Alfred H. Keast, SanFrancisco, Calif.

Application January 2, 1957, Serial No. 632,193

2 Claims. (Cl. 273-145) My present invention relates to educationalgames and more particularly to a game device having mechanicallyoperating parts by which dice and/or other game pieces are tumbled aboutupon a play surface and which when 'at rest will indicate certain gamevalues upon saidplay surface as to future play.

An object of my invention is to provide a new and novel game device inwhich dice or other game pieces are agitated in a novel manner todetermine scoring values in accordance with predetermined rules.

Another object of my invention is to provide a mechanically operatedgame apparatus having an oscillating game piece supporting surface withVarious game play indicia thereupon by which scoring values or procedurein accordance with established rules of play are indicated by theposition of game pieces thereupon when said surface comes to rest.

Another object of the invention is to provide a game apparatus in whichcaptivated play pieces are supported upon a surface which ismechanically oscillated to produce game score values or otherindications under the control of one or more players.

A further object of the invention is to provide a game apparatus havinga novel game piece supporting surface that is oscillated in a novelmanner by spring means in which operating energy can be established invarying degrees under the control of an operating player.

Other objects and advantages will be in partevident to those skilled inthe art and in part pointed out hereinafter in connection with theaccompanying drawing, wherein there is shown by way of illustration andnot of limitation a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawing wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout theseveral views:

Figure l is a plan view of a device embodying the invention with theplay pieces removed, and

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along line II-II of Figurel, showing details of construction.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference is now made tothe accompanying drawing wherein the numeral designates a suitablehousing having a central cavity formed by a slightly inclined wall 11over which a transparent cover 12 extends for confining a plurality ofplay pieces 13, shown by dot and dash lines. Disposed within and forminga play piece supporting surface for said cavity, there is a rotatablemember 14 which as shown in Figure l of the drawings, is divided intodifferent zones or areas by radially extending ridges 15 and concentricridges 16 that intersect. To avoid the possibility of a die coming torest upon these ridges 15 and 16 at their points of intersection, I haveshown a raised bead or upstanding protuberance. In this arrangement, theplay piece supporting member 14 is shown as annular in outline and ashaving two concentrically arranged zones. Disposed centrally inco-planar relation with the annular member 14 there -is a central playpiece supporting member 17 which, as indicated in Figure l of thedrawing, is divided into four zones by partitioning ridges 18. As

ice

indicated in Figure 2 of the drawing, the play piece surface formingmember 17 is mounted to float freely in a central recess of the playpiece surface forming member 14 so that when an oscillating movement isimparted to the member 14, as will hereinafter appeal-,the play surfaceforming member 17 will move and/ or oscillate independently and relativetothe annular area of the play piece supporting surface carried by themember 14. The play piece supporting member 14 is secured to the upperend of a vertically extending shaft 19 which is journalled for rotationupon a pedestal 20 carried by a closure plate 21 at the bottom of thehousing 10. Attached to the shaft 20, at its inner convolution, thereisa horizontally disposed clock spring 22,' which is secured at itsouter end to the housing 10 in such a manner that when Wound andreleased, said clock spring 22 will impart an oscillating movement tothe play piece supporting member 14. In this connection, it should behere stated that the mass or weight of the play piece supporting member14 and the resilience of the clock spring 22 will be such that the playpiece supporting member 14 Will be oscillated in a manner sufficient toimpart tumbling action to the play pieces 13 placed thereupon.

In order to wind the spiral spring 22 and thus store up suicient energyto impart'the above oscillating movement to the play piece supportingmember 14, I have provided the member 14 with'an extension at theunderside thereof in the form of a ratchet wheel 23 with which a dogcarried by an operating lever 25 engages. In this instance, the lever 2Sis mounted to turn freely about the vertically extending shaft 19 andwill operate in a horizontally extending slot 26 in the housing 10 whichhas an arcuate length of approximately The dog 24 is biased intoengagement with the ratchet wheel 23 in any suitable manner. Extendingoppositely from the dog 215, the operating lever 25 also carries a lever27 which is operative to move said dog 25 out of engagement with theratchet wheel 23 as said operating lever approaches the end of itsspring winding movement. To this end the closure plate 21 is shown ashaving a vertically extending pin 2?, super-imposed in partover thesectional View of Figure 2 and diagrammatically illustrated by dot anddash lines displaced 90 at the right of this figure of the drawing. Inthis arrangement, it will be seen that as the operating lever 2S isgrasped and moved clockwise, as viewed in Figure l of the drawings ortoward the viewer as shown in Figure 2 of the drawing, the ratchetengaging dog 24 will be operative to turn the shaft 19 and thus causethe spiral spring 22 to become wound and store up suflicient energy toimpart an oscillating movement through the shaft 19 to the play piecesupporting member la and cause the play pieces to be tumbled about untilthe parts come to rest. Under these conditions, it; will be seen thatthe play pieces 13 resting thereupon` will eventually come to rest invarious positions and indifferent zones on the playing surface for gamescoring purposes` While I have described the device as having a singleoperating lever 25 which may be operated in turn byI several differentplayers. I have also shown inthe draw-` ings two of these operatinglevers which move in oppo sitely disposed arcs and toward oppositelyseated players. The second lever, here designated by the numeral 29carries a dog 31 corresponding with the ratchet engaging dog 24 and alsoa lever 32 which is adapted to engage a second tripping pin (not shown)similar to the pin l the inactive player will be held in a positionwhere theratchet engaging dog 24 or 31 carried thereby will be out ofengagement with the ratchet wheel 23 and thus permit the opponentsoperating lever to be operative for Winding the spiral spring 22 up toits automatic release. Following this, the particular operating leverwill be held in its ratchet releasing position so that the otheroperating lever can be used for a subsequent operation ofthe device.

.The various zones as outlined upon the play piece supporting members 14and 17 may take various shapes and size. In accordance with oneparticular set of game rules, this play surface is marked with scoringand play indicating indicia in accordance with the `design which formsthe subject matter of a copcnding application en titled, Play Surfacefor Garne Apparatus, Serial Number D. 44,118 iiled December 7, 1956.

While I have, for the sake of clearness and in order to disclose myinvention so that the same can be readily understood, described andillustrated a speciiic form and arrangement, I desire to have itunderstood that this invention is not limited to the specific formdisclosed, but may be embodied in other Ways that will suggestthemselves to persons skilled in the art. It is believed that thisinvention is new and all such changes as come within the scope of theappended claims are to be considered as part of this invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is: v

l. In a game apparatus, the combination of a housing having an opencylindrical cavity of a depth suticient t0 permit the tumbling of diceand like play pieces therein, means forming a play piece supportingsurface at the bottom ef said cavity having Zones upon which said Playpieces may come to rest, said means being carried by a dependingvertical shaft, a spiral clock spring secured at its inner end to saidshaft with its convolutions extending spirally therearound and attachedat its outer end to a stationary part of said housing, a ratchet wheelcarried by said means, a radially extending lever journallcd upon saidshaft, a ratchet engaging dog carried by said lever and engaging saidratchet wheel for imparting a spring winding movement to said shaft assaid lever is operated through an arc about theaxis of said shaft by aplayer, and means operative to disengage said dog from said ratchetwheel as said operating lever reaches the end of its spring winding areof travel about said shaft, whereby said spiral spring will be Wound andreleased and impart an oscillating movement to said means that willcause play pieces located thereupon to be tumbled about and establishgame` scoring values as they come to rest in said cavity.

2. A game apparatus of the character delined by claim 1, characterizedby the fact that the zones on the play piece supporting surface of saidmeans are dened by raised and intersecting ridges with upstandinghernispherical protuberances at their points of intersection to avoidthe possibility of a play piece coming to rest upon said ridges at saidpoints of intersection.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,594,016 Marshall July 2.7,v 1926

